Isle of Arran

The Glen Rosa Valley is an excellent alternative for the intrepid explorer who doesn't fancy climbing Goatfell. A comfortable, reasonably flat walk along a well-beaten path takes you around Goatfell and up the Glen. 

At not much more than an hour each way, it's not a long or arduous endeavor, but the rewards are breathtaking. The Valley is stunning, surrounded by mountains, and the falls, while not deep, are plentiful. 

We stopped at the falls to enjoy the experience and decided to return after, though continuing further up the valley is possible. Additionally, the route is easily navigable by Mountain bike, and you can, with a little more effort, walk to the starting point of the trail from Brodick itself. 

King's (Fingal's) Caves are not the largest sea caves, but they are worth visiting and the walk alone is very enjoyable. There are two routes available; either starting from Blackwaterfoot and walking across the Golf Course and along the coast, or stopping at the car park and walking down the cliffs to sea level. 

We've done the coastal route a couple of times, and it's about an hour and a bit each way, but it's a very easy walk, and it takes you past a set of fossil footprints supposedly set down by a prehistoric reptile. 

The caves themselves are not very deep, going back roughly 20 meters, and there is some evidence that they were previously used by a Parish for church meetings. Local legend says that Robert the Bruce holed up in the caves for a bit, but there is no evidence to support this.